Tom Huelsmann

EducationB. A. in Music from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul MNM. A. in Education from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul MNFurther graduate study in music and education from the U of Minnesota, Hamline University, St. Cloud State University and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

LessonsBeginner to Advanced Private Lessons30 minutes, 60 minutes

Word to describe my teaching styleStudent-oriented

Tom wants to instill the love of music and music performance in his students. He has nearly fifty years of experience teaching music - thirty-four years in public school band music teaching every level from fourth-grade through university graduate level. He has taught lessons on every band instrument from piccolo to tympani, in music styles from Handel to Count Basie.

A typical lesson with Tom will include welcoming the student to his studio, then they begin with warm ups - long tones, scales, lip slurs, then continue playing through the previously-assigned studies concentrating on good tone production, rhythmic accuracy and note reading. Phrasing, articulation, and dynamic contrasts are explained, modeled, and practiced. New material is assigned for the next lesson.

In his spare time, he enjoys playing in several musical groups, including composing and arrange music for some of them. He also likes to spend time with his family.